Closer
by PhoebeSnow
Summary: Batman and Harley Quinn have always been on opposite sides of the law. He was the mantle of justice, she was a criminal. There was no possible way they could reach an understanding and break down the walls that separated them. Or was there? Quayne oneshots. All stories are independent unless otherwise stated.
1. New Beginnings

**A/N: I've actually had an interest in this pairing for years, but I never wrote anything about it. Until now, that is. My portrayal of Bruce/Batman may be off. I'm not a big Batman fan and the films I like are the older ones that Tim Burton directed. So that is the Bats I am trying to channel. If it doesn't work, that's okay. It's my first time. I can always improve on it later! In the meantime, enjoy~**

 _xxxXxxx_

"And what does this button do?" The blonde giggled and reached over to touch a green button that was a few inches left from the passenger seat.

Bruce growled out in a harsh voice, "Don't touch that!"

Harley squealed and pulled her finger back, but that mischievous grin was still present on her face. "Why? What's it for? Is it a secret compartment full of your naughty magazines?" She looked at him for confirmation, but he kept his gaze on the road and made no change in his facial expression.

"Don't worry. I won't tell. Even Mistah J had some rags like that when I was still with him..." Those last three words she spoke were so soft, Bruce could barely hear them.

"Those kind of magazines have no purpose for me..." He responded.

Harley's lips turned back up into a smile and laced her fingers together. "Oh, I know! I was just teasing! You're so serious all the time, ya know. I suppose you do it to scare the local criminal element, but cracking open a smile and showing some teeth isn't a bad thing."

"Well, I _have_ smiled a lot these last three months, thanks to you. So you can mark that off your checklist." Bruce couldn't resist the slight quirk of his lips as he spoke. He wasn't always a brooding man as Harley once believed. No, he was a very complex man, who kept himself composed and collected around the people he was with. Regarding his tragic past, it was no surprise why he had a more serious outlook on life.

"Whatever you say, _Batmaaan_." She liked teasing him any chance she could and Bruce admitted that he took pleasure in hearing whatever clever or terribly cheesy thing she was going to say next. There was not one trace of that broken woman he had saved three months ago.

Even though she was a colossal pain in the backside at times, Bruce knew that Harley wasn't a bad person. She had just been seduced by the Joker. It happened, unfortunately, to a lot of people. Sometimes when a person fell in love, their mind became clouded and they ended up being susceptible to do anything for the one they love. It was bad for Harley that the Joker had gotten his hooks into her. The pain she'd received at his hands was not worth the love she devoted to him.

A little over six months ago, the Joker went to his hideout, dejected, once again, by his failure to destroy Batman. Harley had seen how unhappy he was and tried to cheer the Joker up with a serenade about him being her puddin'. Unfortunately, the only reward Harley was the back of of his fists.

After the Joker had beaten Harley until she was black and blue, he pushed her out of the hideout's four story window. Then he stalked off and left her to fall to her death.

It was a good thing that Batman had been in the area, patrolling the streets and alleys. He'd heard the glass crashing and managed to swoop down and catch Harley merely seconds before she hit the ground.

 _That son of a bitch_ , he thought to himself when he saw how bloody and battered she was. The Joker had nearly killed her with his own hands. The woman had been completely unconscious and even though Bruce wanted to go after the Joker and promptly rip his throat out for hurting Harley this way, he knew that she needed to go to the hospital immediately.

So he took off with her in his arms and got her to his batmobile, driving her to the hospital at full speed. Her life would have been in serious danger if he hadn't driven so fast and, thankfully, the doctors were able to save her.

Bruce, still disguised as the Batman, told the doctors that her medical bill would be paid for in full. He also promised them that he would personally take Harley back to Arkham as soon as she was able to walk.

Strangely, though, he found himself coming back well before then, but not as the Batman - she already knew who he was, so that wouldn't do. Anyway, he had enough troubles from the people in Gotham who believed that Batman was no better than a glorified criminal.

Bruce visited Harley's hospital room as himself. Not as Bruce Wayne, the billionaire; Bruce Wayne, the playboy; or even Bruce Wayne, the philanthropist, but as Bruce Wayne, the man.

It was an unexpected development to say the least. Even Alfred was at a loss for words when Bruce told him that he'd be visiting Harley until she got better. Eventually, the elderly butler got over his shock and tried to persuade Bruce to stay at the manor and forget about visiting her. She was, technically, _still_ his enemy.

Bruce didn't see it that way. The only reason he and Harley were enemies was because Harley had been involved with the Joker, and any enemy of his was her enemy and every friend of his, hers.

The good thing was that she was free of Joker's influence now.

Bruce did exactly what he said he would do. He visited Harley twice a week for the six months she was in the hospital. When people in the city questioned this action, Bruce let it be known that he was once a close friend of Harley's - granted, that was a lie, but what the public didn't know wouldn't hurt them - and that, despite her past wrongdoings, he was going to show her mercy during her stay at the hospital.

"Extending an olive branch may do Ms. Quinzel a touch of good during this traumatic time in her life. Contrary to popular belief, not all of the prisoners at Arkham are one hundred percent belligerent. I personally feel that compassion should be expressed to her during her stay at the hospital. Perhaps it may give her a new sense of peace when she returns to Akham."

After Bruce released that statement, no one said anything against his visiting Harley again. If there was anything that would shut the gossips up in Gotham, it was a wealthy resident celebrity willingly reaching out to an abuse victim.

Even though Harley was a villain in the public eye, many people sympathised with her and cast a 'victim of psychological terror and warfare' label on her. It was a bit much of a stretch, but it worked.

Bruce's plans to go see Harley in the hospital weekly were a good idea because of how depressed and withdrawn she'd become. She had become a shell of her former self. Goodness knows what would have happened to her if he hadn't chosen to visit her.

Also, to his surprise, he actually enjoyed his visits to the hospital. Harley did too, as she beamed widely, like a kid in a candy store whenever he showed up. She had a very nice smile, Bruce decided. And her voice was much softer than the loud, grating, child-like tone she'd adopted when she was in league with the Joker.

The first time Bruce came into her hospital room, she asked him, "Next time, could you bring a nice big bag of gummy bears, Bruce? I loooved gummies when I was a kid, and I can't remember the last time I had any." She'd batted those long blonde eyelashes at him and Bruce found himself agreeing to do so.

Of course, it didn't mean anything that he chose to bring her gummies. He was just being kind.

Harley just wanted to have someone to keep her company. It would have been boring for her to lie in that soft hospital bed all day, with no one to talk to. She did appreciate Bruce's statement to the press, but as kind and inspiring as it was, the doctors and nurses around were still wary of her. Whether they were friendly or not didn't amount to a hill of beans because, now, she was on her way back to her previous habitat.

There were always consequences for one's actions, whether one apologised or tried to make amends. The law had to be satisfied and she would willingly comply. There was no use in trying to fight. It would conflict with her newly developed character.

Nevertheless, it pained Harley to think of going back to Arkham. She could take good care of herself, but she still didn't like being in there with those idiots. It would have been much more preferable living with Bruce in his nice, big, cozy mansion and stay far away from madmen and villainous plots to escape Arkham - because there were **always** escapes. Arkham security was terrible to say the least.

Bruce laughed when she told him that she'd much rather move in at his mansion. "I think I could handle that kind of punishment very easily. What do you think, Bruce?" She had asked him, eyes sparkling with humor.

Their budding friendship was the main reason that he felt guilty about taking her back to the asylum. Bruce had seen a change in Harley that he never expected. On his twentieth visit, she had broken down and told him how sorry she was for all of the things she'd done in the past. Harley came to realise that being with the Joker had not done her any good and he only crushed her spirit. She felt like it was a miracle that she hadn't died that night.

She told him, "I think this is my second chance, Bruce. It's my second chance to get things right this time." He believed her without question.

It was truly strange to think about, but Bruce and Harley began to confide in each other during his visits. They talked about movies, books, conspiracy theories, life, death, psychology, everything. Believe it or not, they became good friends.

Once a week Bruce would have some new treat or game for the two of them to play, so they didn't have to turn on the television. They ate a lot of gummies, drank a lot of lemon water, played gin and Uno dozens of times during those three months. They got to know each other more deeply than anyone else they ever knew.

Harley would sometimes fall asleep in the middle of their discussions, due to the pain from her injuries. Bruce was excellent at observing and detecting when a person was in pain and trying to hide it. Whenever she was hurting too much, he would call a nurse to give her medication.

There were moments that, when Harley was asleep and drugged up, Bruce allowed himself to take her hand in his. It felt so small and tender compared to his own. She was so delicate as he looked down on her. Before he could stop himself, he kissed her on the forehead gently. He had become very attached.

That's why it hurt so much to drive Harley to Akham now. Every mile brought them closer to Arkham and took away their chance to be friends...or more, and that effectively killed any pleasant mood they could have had.

Soon, as the asylum came into sight, Harley sighed. "There's no place like home," she muttered, feeling so downcast once she saw the gloomy iron gate. There were several men in white jackets outside, waiting for them. For her.

Bruce slowed the vehicle to a stop and he got out of the car. Harley was about to do the same, but Bruce placed his hand over hers and shook his head. "No, allow me. Please."

Even though she was still a criminal and considered a danger to society, Bruce wanted to treat her like a lady, even if it were the last time that he ever saw her free and not behind the glass cage of a cell.

He walked over to her side of the car and opened the door. The guards and doctors had bewildered facial expressions, but said nothing. They were wise to keep their opinions to themselves on this.

Yes, it was true that Harley was a big headache for the people who worked at Akham and they more than likely had their share of complaining about her. However, they were more frightened of Batman than they were irritated with Harley.

Harley stepped out of the bat mobile and gave Bruce a tiny smile. "Well, this is it. The end of the line."

"Yes, it is," Bruce replied. He pulled out a small brown bag and handed it to her.

"What's this?" Harley accepted the bag and looked at him curiously.

"Gummy bears and worms. I know you like either or, so I bought both kinds. It's just a little something to remember the last several months."

The curious look on Harley's face changed to a shy one, her cheeks turning bright red. "You didn't have to do that..."

"But I wanted to."

The blonde sniffled and wiped at her eyes, trying to summon the will not to cry. It wasn't working and she made a little choking sound in her throat. Bruce didn't make gestures like this to anyone, and **definitely** not as Batman either. It was a little sign that he cared and Harley knew she would treasure these gummies more than anything in the world.

She smiled up at him through her tears. "I don't need this to remind me of you, Bruce."

Their eyes were locked onto each other's until, finally, Harley couldn't stand the tension anymore. She leaned forward on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Bruce's. At first, he didn't respond to her kiss and Harley felt embarrassed for doing something so brash. She began to pull away, but Bruce gripped her forearms and tugged her back to him, moving his mouth over hers passionately.

He teased her by running his tongue over the seam of her mouth and Harley moaned, letting her lips open so he could slide his tongue inside. The kiss was heated and intense to the point that even Harley wasn't sure that she could handle it much longer.

It was just her luck. She got an amazing, life-changing kiss from the Batman and on the same day, she has to go back to the asylum. Fate was a _supreme_ asshole.

They both pulled back and breathed heavily, gasping for air after the kiss. Harley clutched her chest tightly, missing the feel of Bruce's mouth on hers. He watched her parted lips open and close she tried to speak. His fingers touched her upper lip and smoothed the soft skin. She shuddered at the motion and he grinned.

"I'll miss you, Harleen Quinzel," he whispered to her.

"I'll miss you too, Bruce Wayne. I already do." She bit her lip and made a face that was between a frown and a smile. "Thank you for being there for me. I'll never forget it."

He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face and returned the smile. "Neither will I."

She pecked his cheeks again, gave him a confident wink and sauntered off to meet the asylum doctors and guards. The guards proceeded to shackle her wrists and as Bruce got into his car, he heard her say, "Boys, if you're good, I'll share some of my gummies with ya!"

With a smile on his face, Bruce put his feet on the gas and drove away. Thoughts rolled into his mind. It would be disappointing if he never saw her again. They had made a connection with each other during her stay at the hospital and Bruce knew that he would miss her greatly. Maybe, in a few days, a visit to Harley's cell would be in order...


	2. Unexpected

**A/N: There may be some OOC behavior, but that's because I wanted to write a fluffy chapter this time.**

* * *

She tried to take him down by the docks one day in the middle of the night. He'd been waiting for her, of course and anticipated what she planned to do - sometimes she wondered if he didn't have super powers of a sort because he was almost too knowledgable when it came to her plans.

Anyway, her plan at the docks had gone off well without a hitch and for the first time in what felt like a long time, Harley Quinn had single-handedly caught Batman with no outside help. No thugs, no goons. Just she and she alone.

That was a _great_ day.

She'd been feeling so good about herself too, so good that she started monologuing her victory over Batman.

It was really embarrassing, but she couldn't help it. This kind of thing never happened to her very often and she planned to enjoy every minute of it. In the middle of her classic villain monologue, Batman interrupted her - honestly, he was prone to do that far too much.

"Harley, where's the Joker? Why have you caught me all by yourself?" He didn't even sound like he was mocking her, just genuinely curious.

Still, she had been pretty taken aback by his sudden query and blinked several times before answering. "Mistah J isn't here. He's back in our hideout, trying to think of ways to trap you." She cackled. "I think he's gonna be happy when I call and tell him that I caught you this time!"

"I know why you'd like to think that he'd respond that way. Maybe he'd finally love you the way you deserve to be loved. The truth is, he can't. The only person the Joker loves is himself. Beyond that, he has obsessions and nothing else."

"Shut up! Mistah J does love me! You just keep showing up and ruining everything!" Despite the brave front Harley tried to put up, her shoulders shook. Deep down, she knew he was right, but the wall between the heart and the brain was very thick sometimes.

Batman ignored her and continued. "Do you really believe that, Harley? I don't. The Joker is using you. It's what he does best. At the most, you're a nice little diversion for him, but nothing more. You'll never win his love no matter what you do."

The blonde's face fell at this. She didn't want to believe him, but he was right. Every time she took a leave of absence from the Joker's hideout, he never noticed. And when she'd come back, he'd merely say, "Oh, Harley. There you are," or "Good. You're here. Clean this place up. It's a mess."

He never hugged her, never said kind, loving words to her. Instead, he would send her on errands and use her as bait to draw out Batman.

When it came down to brass tacks, Harley didn't feel like her Puddin's equal and not even his second-in-command. She was just a means to an end and that hurt.

Before she realized it, Harley had fallen to the ground, reduced to tears.

The more shocking thing was feeling Batman's strong arms surround her like a safe haven. She surprised herself by clutching his shoulders with her hands and squeezing tightly, as if she were holding on for dear life.

She stayed in Batman's embrace for a long time with neither of them budging from where they stood.

Suddenly, he spoke in a voice that was foreign and unlike to the gruffness she'd become accustomed to. "Come with me."

Harley's head snapped up when she heard those words, confused. "Wh-what?"

"I'll take you away from the Joker and get you somewhere safe. He'll never hurt you again. I promise."

There was no urgency in his tone, but...concern. Harley wanted to laugh in his face, push him away and yell at him. He shouldn't care about her. She was the girlfriend of his biggest enemy in Gotham. She was just as bad as Mistah J, so why was Batman being kind to her? She didn't deserve it.

"Stop actin' like ya care because we both know you only see a criminal when you look at me! I'm just another faceless troublemaker to you!" Harley was behaving irrationally, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was just prey to him.

As she turned to get away from Batman, he tugged her back to his chest, looking into her eyes - that was a big thing that annoyed her about him. She could never really tell what he was thinking because of that damn cowl. Although, no one knew what he was thinking because he hid his emotions behind that stupid stoic demeanor all of the time.

"You know that's not true, Harley," came the soft reply. "There's always someone who cares."

"Yeah, right. Like who? You? Ha! That's a laugh! Lemme go, Bats!" Tears were streaming down Harley's face and she pushed against his chest, trying to free herself from him. Batman was like a rock, though and he kept a tight grip on her arms the entire time.

The more she pushed, the more he pulled. Harley's struggling wasn't moving her one bit. Soon, her arms grew tired and she settled down, breathing hard as she glared up at him. "Please let me go..."

Batman didn't release her, but he lessened the grip he had on her arms.

"Like you could keep me safe from Mistah J," she said quietly.

"I can."

"And why would you?"

Once again, that damn cowl covered any signs of Batman's facial expression. Turns out she didn't need to see his face because he leaned forward and crushed his lips to hers.

The blonde gasped and her hands went up to push him away, but Batman just caught her hands in his and pulled her closer. Their bodies were drawn tight to each other and Harley shivered as she felt his heart beating.

It was no use trying to fight him, since he had a good hold on her, so Harley reluctantly unfurled her hands and let him kiss her.

Never in her life had she been kissed in such a way. Batman had his lips hard on hers as if it were the last thing he would do with his life. It was a disgustingly raw, passionate kiss that made Harley's head spin. When he finally did let go of her, she moaned at the loss.

Her eyes were closed for a few minutes. She had to get her breathing under control before she could look at him again. Unfortunately, by the time she opened her eyes, Batman had taken his leave and was nowhere in sight.

The blonde growled in frustration and put her face in her hands. Why had he chosen **that** moment to leave? Batman had the worst possible exits in the history of mankind!

Sighing, she picked up her baseball bat and started to walk away from the docks. All the while, she felt a tingling on her lips and she knew it was because of the kiss Batman gave her. Something had sparked inside of her when he kissed her. A hot fire erupted in her soul with that kiss. She definitely hadn't expected it, but she wanted more.

As she walked the streets, she smiled to herself. Right then and there, Harley made up her mind. She was going to get him back for kissing her tonight. Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow or the day after.

No matter how long it'd take, Harley Quinn was going to repay Batman with her own lips and if that sounded wanton, then she'd wear the badge proudly.


	3. A New Leaf

**A/N:** **This is just a random story vomit that came out of my head, so forgive me if the characters are a bit OOC. I don't write much stuff on Batman, so I'm kind of going by my feelers about him.**

* * *

 _Now that Harley is no longer a criminal and is going steady with Bruce, she decides that she wants to be his sidekick._

* * *

"Bruce?"

"Yes, Harley?"

"I was just thinkin'. Since Dick isn't Robin anymore, maybe you need someone else to work with when ya go out patrolling."

The man turned to his blonde companion with a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, and I have the right candidate, too."

Mild alarm crossed Bruce's features before settling back into a neutral expression. The right 'candidate', she said. What in the world did she do? Go out and hold auditions in a gymnasiums?

Sure, that may sound absurd, but since Harley had been living at the Wayne mansion for over a year, Bruce had gotten used to his girlfriend's unorthodox methods. She'd also successfully convinced him to lower his defenses and let her into his heart. It was so easy to allow himself to relax around her. Other times...he had no idea what she was going to do next. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking. "You have?"

"Yep!" She grinned at him. "Bet ya can't guess who I'm thinkin' about."

"I suppose you could give me a hint."

The look on Harley's face showed slight disappointment after he said that. "Aw, c'mon. There's only one person I would recommend to be your partner in, uh, vigilantism." She paused, waiting for him to respond.

He didn't.

"Tsk, obviously, I mean me."

"No."

"But-"

" **No** , Harley."

The blonde glared at him and fisted her hands, pressing them to her hips in frustration. "And why not? You didn't have a problem with your last four sidekicks, and they were all a lot younger than I am."

"That doesn't matter. You're not going to be my sidekick." He stood and began to walk out of the parlor.

Harley felt her heart begin to sink, but she was determined. She followed him, not willing to just give up and let this lie. "Bruce, you put ya life on the line all the time."

"That's right, but that's my choice to make. I'm not willing to let anyone else risk their own life by working with me. I'm better off alone."

"That's bullshit and you know it! You've had people work with you before and you never had a problem with it, so why now? Why single me out? Am I not good enough to be your partner?"

"No."

"Do ya think I'm too weak to handle the streets or somethin'?"

"That's not it, Harley..."

"Well, what the hell is the problem? Are you afraid I'm gonna go back to the way I used to be? Do ya think I'm gonna run off and start my own gang again and become your enemy?"

"No, Harley!"

"Then, what is it?!"

Bruce grabbed her by the shoulders and held her against the door to their bedroom, shaking her slightly. _"I can't lose you!"_

Harley's eyes widened as two gold pieces. "What?"

He sighed and lessened his grip on her torso. "I don't want you to be a sidekick because you could get hurt. Too many people I care about have gotten hurt because of their association with me and I'm not going to add you to that list."

That was understandable, yet not a good enough reason for her. "But you know I can take care of myself."

"It's not about that. I could never forgive myself if...if the woman I loved got hurt on my watch."

The blonde could feel her heart pounding in her ears and she trembled after hearing Bruce's confession. She knew that her boyfriend wasn't the type to just blurt out his feelings unless he was under a lot of pressure or strain. He had to keep a part of himself closed off to people, particularly since he was Batman.

Slowly but surely, he'd begun to let his guard down around Harley and she'd realized that he wasn't a hard man as she previously believed when they were on opposite sides of the law. He was just a man who had been through a lot of hell in his life, a man who had to endure a lot to protect this city at great cost to himself. Bruce was an exceptionally brave man and a hero.

Harley closed her eyes and a lone tear slid down her cheek. He loved her. That's why he didn't want her to be out there with him. He'd lost so much and if he lost her, too...well, she didn't even want to entertain the thought of what that would do to him. Hell, she hadn't suspected that she touched him so deeply until now, but she was happy that she came to him with this anyway.

"Oh, Bruce. Why didn't ya say so?" She replied in a soft voice as she reached out to him, touching his cheek tenderly.

He gave her a half grin. "Well, you wouldn't let up. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Just be honest with me and don't avoid the issue. It's never a good idea to let my mind wander like that, you know. I thought maybe...you didn't believe I was good enough to be your partner."

Bruce's lips parted and he shook his head. She really thought that? And all this time, he never had a clue. "I would never think that about you, Harley. You know the streets of Gotham just as well as I do. I know good and well that you can take care of yourself. I just don't like the idea of you being in harm's way."

Harley sniffled and wiped away an errant tear. "It's been a long time since anyone cared that much about me. Keepin' me safe and all. I usually had ta look out for myself, even back when I was with him." There was no need for her to say his name as they both knew of whom she was speaking.

"I know and I hope that you don't feel like I'm trying to crowd you or force you to do what I want. If you want to work with me, I guess...I could be open to the possibility. Just give me time, okay?" He gave her a little smile.

The fact that Bruce was willing to accept the idea of her as his partner made Harley's head dizzy with excitement. She squealed and threw her arms around him. "Take all the time you need, Bruce. I'm not goin' anywhere."


End file.
